


The Benefits of Early Mornings

by RedPensandGreenArrows



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: AU Fic, F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-03
Updated: 2015-09-09
Packaged: 2018-04-12 19:32:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4491987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedPensandGreenArrows/pseuds/RedPensandGreenArrows
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life conspires against Felicity to keep her from sleeping passed 6am, but after a chance encounter while walking her dog, she comes to realize that waking up early may not be such a bad thing after all. Olicity AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based on an AU prompt I discovered on tumblr: “I think you’re cute so I started walking my dog at the same time you go running”. This was fun to write and it became quite a monster compared to how is started in my head! A HUGE shout-out to arrow-through-my-writers-block for beta-ing for me, she is amazing and I can’t thank her enough ☺. I hope you all enjoy!

"Ugh. Really, Sparky?" Felicity groaned into her pillow. "I thought we agreed on 7."

The answering growl and short bark told her that he really didn't care what time it was.

Heaving a deep sigh, Felicity rolled to sit at the edge of her bed and grabbed her phone. She scowled at the brightly lit numbers that read 6:03am.  _It is way too early to be awake, but I guess when you gotta go…_

"Alright, Sparky. Let's head outside."

The corgi gave a quick happy spin in response before rushing out of the bedroom. Shuffling to the front door, Felicity grabbed the leash hanging on the wall and hooked it on to his collar. Once outside and standing in the small section of grass in front of her townhouse, she found the morning to be uncomfortably damp. The fresh dew soaked through her fuzzy slippers and the bottom of her pajama pants, but Felicity barely registered the wet seeping into her clothes. Shoulders slumped and eyes half open, she figured she looked like a hung-over college student, but who was there to impress at this hour?

Patiently waiting for Sparky to finish his business, Felicity became lost in her thoughts until the steady sound of shoes meeting pavement broke through her reverie. Her gaze rose in the direction of the sound and found quite the sight.

_Oh wow…_

Dripping with sweat, a man – a few years older than herself, she gathered – was out for a morning jog. The soft grey shirt he was wearing clung to his torso, hinting at the defined hills and valleys that lay beneath, and his biceps flexed with every pump of his arms. Now, this was a sight worth waking up at 6am for.  _This may even be better than coffee._

But it wasn't only Felicity's attention the runner had grabbed. Sparky's sudden stream of high-pitched barks had Felicity scrambling to gather more of the leash in her hands, so he couldn't get more than a foot or two from her person.

When she looked back to the runner, she found that Sparky's ungodly baying had brought the man's attention to the two of them, and as his eyes lifted to Felicity's the corners of his mouth ticked upward into a small smile. With a slight nod in greeting and amusement alight in his eyes, the man kept right on jogging, never faltering in step or stride.

Felicity continued to stare after the running man until the sun's rays finally broke over the tops of the buildings and streaked right across her face. However, the interruption was a welcome one as she realized just how ridiculous she must have appeared. Bed head, in an old MIT sweatshirt, pajama pants that sported binary code, and eyes wide in wonder; she must have looked like an electrocuted owl.  _I'm surprised he managed to not laugh in my face._

Sighing in resignation at her horrid luck, Felicity whistled to Sparky and the two headed back inside. The time for coffee and a shower had come, and she definitely needed to clear her mind of this morning's encounter if she wanted to function at work today. It's not like she'd see the Adonis again anyway, her impersonation of a hot mess probably made sure of that.

>>\------->

The following morning, Sparky was kind enough to keep to their 7am schedule; however, her idiot supervisor had other ideas. Frantic texts had woken her around quarter to six that morning from the man who was supposed to be leagues ahead of her in technical knowledge, but the truth of the matter was she could run circles around anyone in that IT department. So, once again, instead of getting another hour of sleep before she had to start getting ready for work, Felicity was curled up in a chair, sipping coffee, as she directed her supervisor through the issue with their server.

Warmth seeped throughout Felicity's body as she savored the coffee in her hands, waiting for the next text to come through. All was silent until the steady sound she encountered yesterday morning wafted in through the open window beside her. Sitting up to peer outside, Felicity quickly glanced at the time on her phone before watching Adonis sprint by her house once again. As she followed his path with her eyes, she was able to admire his backside and almost immediately her gaze landed on his ass.

_Good lord._

His shorts might not have been skin tight, but the visible outline gave Felicity enough information to imagine the dimples she'd find hidden beneath those clothes; the tight firmness she'd feel beneath her hands. Felicity groaned. This man was entirely too good-looking; it should be considered a crime. A buzzing sound snapped Felicity out of her daydreaming as her phone lit up with a new text. Glaring at her phone, she didn't pick it up right away, and turned her attention once more to the still and silent morning outside her window. Maybe waking up early wasn't such a bad thing after all.

Oh the third morning, Felicity woke to the sound of her alarm. Five minutes 'til six, she slipped out of bed, swapped her pajama bottoms for yoga pants, and brushed out her hair before pulling it up into a ponytail. Slipping into her MIT sweatshirt, she called out for Sparky and they quickly headed down the steps to their small section of grass. Felicity took a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart, and mentally scolded herself for how giddy she was feeling.

Acting as natural as possible, Felicity checked her phone every few minutes until around 6:10am she heard his pounding footsteps once more. She tightened her hold on Sparky's leash and kept her head lowered until she could school the smile on her face. Finally looking in his direction, she found he was already staring at her. The same smile and laughing eyes greeted her and he acknowledged her with a quick nod as before. This time she returned it with a nod of her own and a smile matching his. Neither paid any attention to the corgi yapping by her feet. He continued passed and Felicity once again continued to watch as he jogged away from her. Biting her lip to keep the threatening smile from breaking out across her face, Felicity shook her head and gave a small tug to Sparky's leash before heading back inside. Yep, mornings may just be her new favorite time of day.

>>\------->

Multiple mornings came and went without a single change in their routine. Felicity and Sparky waited in their little rectangle of grass for Adonis run by, a smile, a nod, and everyone ignoring the barking dog. It was simple, uncomplicated, and Felicity got to admire an incredibly attractive man for a few minutes every morning. Everything was going smoothly, until it wasn't… She would forever blame her boss and his inane ability to always bother her at the worst times imaginable.

About a week after their first meeting, Felicity and Sparky were "waiting" in their usual spot when her phone buzzed from inside her sweatshirt pocket. It was her supervisor again, this time a problem with the firewall. And a pretty serious problem at that. So, her mind zeroed in on the issue and everything else became white noise. She missed the pounding feet that always alerted her to his presence, as well as Sparky's usual cacophony. Thus, she forgot to hold Sparky back like she normally did and that's when everything started to go down hill.

Felicity's attention was abruptly interrupted when she became cognizant of being propelled forward and crashing head first into a solid mass. She felt Sparky's leash wrapping around her legs as well as those of the unfortunate individual she had collided with. Suddenly, gravity was taking over and they were falling, a tangled mass of limbs.

The pair landed with a solid "Oof!" and Felicity on top. Pushing herself up, she immediately connected with the crystal blue gaze of Adonis himself. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before words started spilling out.

"Oh, wow. You're… really sweaty." Those were the first words she uttered as her hands flexed on top of his pecks. Adonis' eyes crinkled in the corners, and his face lit up with a full-blown smile.  _JFC, this was not normal! Normal people do not look like their life is a photo-shoot._  It wasn't until Sparky's continued barking broke through her captivated haze that she came back to her senses.

"Oh my god, I am  _so_  sorry." Felicity began again with renewed effort in freeing themselves. "Sparky!" she snapped at the corgi. "Knock it off!"

Duly chastised, Sparky became silent and sat down, waiting for his owner's next request. Untangling the leash from around their legs, Felicity scooted off of Adonis and sat next to him.

"You're not hurt are you?"

"No," Adonis laughed as he sat up himself. "More amused than anything. No harm, no foul."

"I'm sorry," Felicity apologized again. "I was a little distracted this morning and didn't have a proper hold on him."

"I noticed." After a pause and a deep breath, he continued. "Well, since we're actually saying words to one another, I guess we should be properly introduced. Hi, I'm Oliver. Oliver Queen."

He held out his hand and Felicity accepted it readily. "Felicity. Smoak."

"It's nice to finally meet you. And this," Oliver pointed to the corgi sitting beside them. "You said was Sparky?"

She giggled. "Yep, this little troublemaker is Sparky. When he was a puppy he had a penchant for chewing on electric cords. Sparks may have been involved one time, and thus the name Sparky was born."

Oliver smiled at the dog as he held out a hand for Sparky to sniff. It didn't take long for the corgi to start licking his hand and trying to jump all over him.

"Come here you." Felicity snatched Sparky into her arms, cuddling him close, and kissing him behind the ear. All Oliver could do was smile at the sight.

"Well," Felicity sighed. "I should let you go, you probably have things to do, and I have places to be."

Standing up quickly and brushing himself off, Oliver held out a hand to help her up. Grasping it tightly, Felicity shivered at the electrical tingle that shot up her arm. Her eyes immediately found Oliver's and she swore they had become a deeper, stormy blue. "As I said before, it's been a pleasure to meet you Felicity Smoak."

"You too," came her breathy reply. She cleared her throat before continuing. "Enjoy the rest of your run, Oliver."

With a final nod of his head and another brilliant smile, Oliver turned around and jogged away from her. Felicity would forever blame her boss for this moment, but maybe… maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.

>>\------->

After their official meeting, their mornings consisted of more than just a small smile and a nod. Now they waved, and shared a verbal greeting that was usually followed by – as Felicity dubbed it - Oliver Queen's "all-American boy" smile. Felicity was becoming addicted to that smile, for it never failed to make her morning, brighten her day, and make her completely weak in the knees. Part of her rolled her eyes at how head-over-heels she felt, but when it came to Oliver Queen it was very hard to fight that reaction.

One morning, Oliver decided to throw in a game-changer. Felicity began their greeting with her customary wave, but before her hand could fall back to her side, Oliver quickened his stride and smacked his hand straight into hers. Startled by the abrupt hive-five, Felicity's eyes widened and her mouth popped open in shock. Her stunned gazed followed him as he continued his jog, never missing a step. Oliver's only reply was to throw a wink over his shoulder before facing front once more.

However, the following morning Felicity came prepared. Watching as Oliver rounded the corner of her block, she threw him a quick wave before holding her hand up high – signaling that she wanted another high-five. Grinning broadly at Felicity's excited display, Oliver held his hand out to return the gesture. Their hands connected perfectly, but as the moment passed Felicity's hand continued to follow through and arced downward until her palm connected solidly with the center of Oliver's right butt cheek. Felicity managed to turn just in time and watch Oliver trip on air and stumble a few steps before righting himself. He turned to face her, jaw hanging open in astonishment. Felicity simply threw his wink back at him. Shaking his head in amusement and wonder, Oliver picked up his jog and continued on as if nothing had happened.

Smirking in victory, Felicity's good mood suddenly took a dive as her brain finally registered as to what she had just done.  _Oh god…_ Why did she have to go and do  _that_!? Oliver probably thought she was such a creep now.  _Frack, frack, frack, FRACK!_  She sighed, resigned that this good thing they had going might be well and truly done.  _At least it was fun while it lasted._

When 6am rolled around again, Felicity and Sparky kept with their routine; however, for the first time in two weeks Felicity didn't keep watch for Oliver. Once Sparky had finished his business, Felicity turned to head back inside, but the sound of those steady footfalls made her stop in her tracks. Head snapping in the direction of the sound, she did a double take when she came face-to-face with a very shirtless Oliver Queen.  _Praise Google_. Every daydream she ever had about his naked torso was sorely lacking, because no one could imagine this perfection. It looked as if he had been sculpted out of fine marble.  _Seriously, did someone just spray him with a mister, because this is just rude._

Felicity tried to look away, show some sense of propriety, but his abs were truly mesmerizing. When she was finally able to drag her eyes away from his glistening six-pack, she braved a look at Oliver. The smirk he wore said it all. No words or greetings were necessary this morning. Oliver Queen had won this battle of wills, but if a shirtless Oliver was losing, then Felicity Smoak gladly accepted defeat.

>>\------->

The first morning where Felicity and Sparky weren't waiting to greet him made Oliver pause with a slight sinking feeling in his stomach. Stopping at the bottom step outside of her townhouse, Oliver contemplated whether or not he should go knock on her door. There was really no reason for him to worry, she could just be running late, or maybe there was an emergency at work. A hundred different explanations ran through his head, so Oliver chalked up his anxiety as nonsense and continued on with his jog. But half way down the other end of her block, the nagging feeling refused to leave Oliver alone. Making a U-turn, he raced up to her front door and knocked. Blowing out a deep breath, Oliver rubbed the back of his neck and wondered what the heck he was doing.

A few minutes passed before the door cracked open and a weary looking Felicity poked her head out.

"Hey, Oliver," came her scratchy greeting before a coughing fit wracked her body.

Immediately, Oliver's forehead wrinkled in concern. "Hey, are you ok?"

Felicity blew her nose before answering his question. "I'm sorry we weren't out to greet you this morning, but I caught a nasty bug from one of my co-workers."

"Do you need anything? Where's Sparky?"

Felicity smiled appreciatively at his concern. "He's out back. I have a small fenced in yard. And no, I should be good, but thank you for the offer."

"Ok… Well, feel better, Felicity," Oliver sounded small and sad.

"Thank you, Oliver. We'll see you in a few days."

With a small wave goodbye, Felicity shut the door. Hearing the lock slip into place, Oliver made his way back down the steps, and after a moment of thought took off with a new destination in mind.

Twenty minutes later, more knocking had Felicity shuffling to her front door once again. Oliver stood there with a big smile, holding out a large brown paper bag.

Gazing at him in confusion, Oliver answered her unspoken question. "Starling City's miracle cure for colds: chicken noodle soup and homemade vanilla ice cream from Dino's. Their soup is the best and they use stelle pasta, you know, the little stars. And I thought ice cream would sooth your throat. Sorry, I didn't know what flavor you like, so I figured plain vanilla was the safest bet."

Felicity listened to his babble in shock. "Oliver, it's like 6:45 in the morning. Were they even open? How did you get this?"

He shrugged, "My family knows the owners, I just begged Mama Dino for some food."

Felicity's lips formed a small pout. Again, she was touched by his thoughtfulness and wondered what she had done to deserve it. "Thank you, Oliver. This was very sweet of you."

Oliver rewarded her with his patented grin, happy that he could aid in her recovery. "No problem at all. Well, I'll let you get some rest. Take care, Felicity."

With a final wink in farewell, Oliver jogged down her step and back out into the morning.

Shutting her door, Felicity moved into the kitchen to unload her bag of goodies. Inside she found two containers and a note. Pulling the note out she read:

_Felicity,_

_The container holding the soup is microwaveable if you need to heat it up. Below is the number for Dino's delivery if you need refills, just tell them to put it on my tab. And if you need anything, please don't hesitate to call._

_Feel better soon,_

_Oliver_

Below his signature, she found two numbers, the first for Dino's delivery service, and the second Oliver's personal phone number.  _Holy. Shit._ Oliver Queen gave her his number.

A few hours later, after eating the soup for lunch, Felicity decided to text Oliver a thank you.

_F: Thank you again for the soup. It was delicious and I'm feeling better already! Now, let's see what kind of miracles this ice cream can conjure up!_

Five minutes of going back and forth about whether or not to actually send the text, Felicity finally bit the bullet and sent the message on its way. Then spent the immediate minutes following that text staring at her phone, willing it to light up with a response. And to her surprise, it did.

_O: Of course. And that ice cream will have you back on your feet in no time. I promise ;). Remember, you can text or call if you need anything. Now, rest and get better, because my morning jogs will be less exciting without you there!_

The grin that crept across her face threatened to split it in two. Setting her phone down on the coffee table in front of her, Felicity curled up on the couch with Sparky at her feet and queued up Netflix. She wanted to get better as quickly as possible too.

>>\------->

Two weeks after Felicity and Sparky had returned to their morning routine, and copious texts between himself and Felicity, Oliver decided that another game-changer was due. Rounding the block, he found Felicity and Sparky waiting for him, as always. As he got closer to the pair, he slowed his run until he was stopped just in front of Felicity. Sparky immediately started jumping at Oliver's legs, begging for attention. Quickly scratching the corgi behind the ears, Oliver turned his full attention to Felicity.

Her brows knit together in confusion as she felt the nervousness rolling off of him. "Hey, Oliver. What's up?"

He cleared his throat. "So, I… ugh… I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go to dinner with me?"

"Like a  _date_  date?" came her immediate and shocked reply.

"A  _date_  date?"

"Yeah, like platonic versus non-platonic."

"Non-platonic?" Oliver's eyebrows shot up to his hairline.

Felicity was quick to explain. "Oh, you know. Non-platonic being where you go to dinner and learn about the other person and hope that a possible relationship might come out of the evening, versus platonic which is more your typical lunch between friends and that's all. So, that's why I'm asking for clarification because I don't want to be presumptuous and assume one over the other. And I'm good with either! In case you were wondering, but I wouldn't know because I'm still talking. Well, babbling. And I should probably stop. Shutting up in 3… 2… 1."

The flush that stole across Felicity's face only added to the hilarity of the moment and Oliver had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. She was hands-down the most adorable woman he had ever met and that was one of the many reasons why he wanted this. To learn everything there was to know about Felicity Smoak.

Resting his hands on her shoulders, he replied. "Yes, Felicity, a  _date_  date."

"Oh." Her hand rose to adjust her glasses. "Then, yes. Yes, I would like to go to dinner with you."

The grin on Oliver's face grew. "How does 7:30 tonight sound?"

"Perfect."

"Perfect," he echoed with a whisper. "Have a good day, Felicity."

And before he even realized what he was doing, Oliver leaned down and kissed Felicity lightly on the cheek before picking up his jog and sprinting down the block.

Felicity turned and watched him go, only remembering to breath once he disappeared around the corner.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Arrow does not belong me. All rights belong to DC Comics, The CW, and those persons associated in the creation of the show and comics.
> 
> Well, many of you asked for it, so here you go: Chapter 2! And the second fic of mine in one week! You lucky ducks ^_~. Again, a ton of thanks to arrow-through-my-writers-block for beta-ing for me. She lets me worry and fret, then betas my work and calms me right down. She's a gem! I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

The entire contents of her wardrobe and dresser drawers were strewn about her room; as her mother liked to say: when tornado Felicity hit, she hit hard. Sighing at her reflection, Felicity felt like this finally might be the outfit, but a part of her was still unsure. A few hours after their morning meeting, Oliver had texted Felicity and told her to keep her outfit casual. From the little information she was able to glean from him, it sounded as if they might be outside for the evening, so she wanted to work jeans and a blazer into the ensemble.

"Well, Sparky. What do you think?"

The corgi simply cocked his head in response from where he sat in his little bed by the door.

Felicity groaned. "Aaand, now I'm asking the dog's opinion." Sucking in a deep breath through her nose, Felicity released it loudly out of her mouth.  _You really need to calm down, girl. It's just a date!_

Appraising her choice one final time, she nodded her head with definitive approval. The black rockabilly style tank top with white polka dots and dark boot cut jeans were comfortable, but also complimented her curves nicely. And pairing them off with white peep-toe flats and a bright red blazer, she checked off Oliver's casual requirement all while keeping the flirty look one hoped for on a first date. Makeup and jewelry were kept light and simple, and her hair hung in loose curls except for small sections at the front of her head, which were twisted back and pinned to give her an effortless retro-style look.

_Alright, just one final brush of the teeth and I'll be all se-_. All further thought came to an abrupt halt as knocking on her door sounded throughout the apartment, and sent an overzealous Sparky flying out of the room as fast as his little legs could carry him. Glancing at the clock on the wall, Felicity found it was indeed 7:30, and quickly moved to welcome her guest. Making sure Sparky was out of the way first, she opened the door to a brightly smiling Oliver.

"Hey, Felic-sss….  _Wow_." The grin dipped a little as a look of shock took over his face. His Adam's apple bobbed conspicuously. "You look… amazing."

"Thank you." A rosy hue flushed across her cheeks and she bit her lip to keep the threatening grin at bay. "Not looking so bad yourself, Queen," Felicity complemented with more bravado than she was actually feeling.

Felicity bet the man in front of her could wear a trash bag and make it look good. However, she was not about to complain about his current ensemble one bit. Well-worn jeans, a dark blue Henley and black leather jacket together made Oliver look like he stepped right out of a department store showroom. The dark navy of his shirt made his already vibrant blue eyes pop; to say a sudden heat did not flare to life inside certain parts of her anatomy would make Felicity Smoak a liar.

She cleared her suddenly dry throat. "Why don't you come in for a minute? I just need to do one last thing."

Nodding, Oliver stepped inside and was immediately greeted by a loud ball of fur pawing at his pants leg for attention. "Hey buddy," he greeted Sparky while squatting down to scratch the corgi behind the ears.

Felicity smiled down at the pair. "I'll just be a moment."

Brushing her teeth with lightening speed, Felicity touched up her lip-gloss, spritzed a little bit of perfume on her person, and grabbed her blazer and purse before heading back out into the living room. "I'm all set."

"Perfect," Oliver replied, then gestured that she should exit first.

Once outside, he nodded to the jacket in her hands. "I know it's not that cold out right now, but you may want to slip that on."

Her brow furled and she opened her mouth to question why when Felicity stopped dead in her tracks, watching as Oliver continued to walk towards the motorcycle sitting along the curb. "It gets a little chilly when you ride," he continued.

"Uhhh…" was the only sound Felicity could make as she continued to stare at the bike. Her face suddenly drained of color.

Oliver sprung towards her as he saw the fear ripple across her body. "Hey hey hey," he calmly said as his hands skimmed down her arms to cup her elbows, "Everything will be fine. I've been riding for years, and I have a feeling you'll enjoy this… I promise."

Seeing nothing but sincerity in his eyes, Felicity nodded and allowed him to guide her over to the motorcycle. "Here," Oliver said as he turned to her with a helmet in his hands, "Let me help you with this."

Carefully placing the helmet over her head and snapping the strap into place, he quickly adorned his own helmet and straddled the bike with accustomed ease. _Ok seriously, he has to be a model in secret, there's just no other explanation!_  Holding out his hand to help her balance, Felicity copied Oliver's movements and swung her left leg over the bike, situating herself behind him.

"All set?"

Felicity jumped, not expecting Oliver's voice to sound right next to ear, but once she realized the helmet was equipped with a mic and speakers, she replied, "As I'll ever be."

She felt the vibrations rumble through her body as soon as Oliver turned on the engine and her hands immediately went to his sides. Revving the throttle a few times, he turned to glance over his shoulder. "Felicity, you might want to hold onto me tight."

Slowly, her arms wrapped around his torso and she tried desperately not to think about the muscles she could feel flexing beneath her hands. No sooner had she readjusted her hold, Oliver rocketed away from the curb. Felicity squealed as her grip increased ten-fold, and Oliver let out a boyish, carefree laugh through the headset. Butterflies erupted in her stomach at the sound and mixed with the adrenaline coursing through her body. Feeling the wind whip passed, Felicity finally relaxed into the sensation and began to share Oliver's excitement in the ride, heading off to whatever he had planned for their first date.

>>\------->

Lost in the feel of the ride and her body pressed up against Oliver's, Felicity didn't register that they had stopped until Oliver moved to get off of the bike. Popping his visor up, he turned back to Felicity - still sitting on the bike - and excitedly asked her what she thought of her first motorcycle ride. She knew he was smiling behind the helmet by the way the corner of his eyes crinkled with laugh lines, and Felicity got lost for a moment imagining this is what a young Oliver looked like on Christmas morning.

Shaking her head to get rid of those thoughts, Felicity carefully removed her helmet then replied, "It was great. I really enjoyed it."

She saw his laugh lines deepen just before he took his helmet off as well.

"Where are we anyway?"

Oliver moved to the rear of his bike and began unhooking the obscenely large basket from the back that Felicity had failed to notice up until this point. "Are we having a picnic?"

"That's part of it," Oliver stated with a wink, revealing nothing more of their plans. Felicity pouted, but took his proffered hand without reservation as he led them to the large building up the path.

The closer they got to the main building Felicity began to take in her surroundings. She noticed the groups of people milling about the grounds – some on the patio that encompassed the front of the building, others on the large fields all around them – as well as the rows and rows of leafy vines with dark clumps dispersed throughout.

"Oliver… are we at a vineyard?"

"Well, you did say you were a big fan of red wine during one of our text conversations did you not?"

It was Felicity's turn to light up like a kid at Christmas. "Oh my god, I love you… and by  _I love you_ , I just mean that I'm very  _very_  excited that this date is going to involve wine, because obviously I'm not in  _love_  with you. I mean this is only our first date and we've only known each other for a few weeks, so why would love even be involved at this point. It wouldn't! And, seriously, I going to stop talking in 3… 2… 1."

Turning her head away from Oliver, she made a gagging face as if hoping to expel any further word vomit before she chose to speak again. Squeezing her hand in reassurance, Oliver just laughed at her lengthy babble. Opening the door, he allowed her to walk in ahead of him. "I'm glad you're excited, Felicity," he reassured her once more, his eyes sparkling with mirth.

Upon entering, the couple was immediately greeted by an employee standing behind a podium. "Good evening and welcome to Valleywood Vineyards. Would you prefer our flights menu, or will you be partaking of the classic wine tasting at the bar?"

"The flights menu, please." Oliver's ingrained manners came shining through as he addressed the young woman and set down the basket to pay for their tastings.

"Excellent," the woman replied before handing them each a small pamphlet. "Choose any 4 wines listed here and relay them to the pourers at the bar. The line is there, and we hope you enjoy your evening."

The couple smiled in thanks, and headed over to wait for their turn to order. Felicity's excitement grew as she poured over the list of wines and their descriptions. Choosing only four was going to be very difficult.

After receiving a couple ounces of each of their selected wines in a handy little carrying tray, they headed back outside. "So, where would you like to sit?" Oliver asked.

Biting her lip, Felicity surveyed their options – the slowly setting sun casting a golden glow over the property. "How about by that tree over there?" She pointed with her finger, "It also looks like there's a fire pit close by that should supply some light and heat once the sun goes down." Oliver nodded in agreement.

They reached their chosen spot rather quickly and Oliver handed his tray off to Felicity as he set down the basket and removed the blanket from the top. Laying it out flat and moving the basket to one corner, Oliver took both trays from Felicity and gestured with his head that she should sit down first. He followed soon after, set their drinks between them, and immediately began pulling out covered trays and Tupperware containers.

"Good Google, did you make all of this!?"

Oliver laughed loudly, "I'm not sure anything I'd make would be edible. All of this was prepared by my family's housekeeper, Raisa."

Felicity started slightly, surprised that his family had a housekeeper, but if Oliver noticed he never acknowledged it.

"And it's not that much, just your normal accompaniments to wine tasting: cheese, crackers, grapes. We each have a turkey club Panini, and I think she even threw in some homemade dips. And finally we have Raisa's famous tiramisu for dessert."

"Mmmm…. Sounds perfect."

Oliver smiled and selected one of the cups from his tray. Raising it up towards Felicity, he proposed a toast. "To first dates."

Felicity echoed both his smile and his toast. "To first dates."

As that first sip glided across her tongue, Felicity closed her eyes, savoring the rich flavor caressing her taste buds. Falling back against the tree trunk, she couldn't stop the small moan from escaping her lips. "I'm in heaven."

Oliver simply chuckled.

>>\------->

At first there was mostly silence as they dug into their sandwiches, but once the couple moved on to the smaller snacks they fell into comfortable conversation. Reminiscing some of their funnier morning moments, and first impressions of the other, it didn't take them long to settle in against the trunk of tree; Oliver's arm casually slung behind Felicity's shoulders. A small thought niggled in the back of Felicity's mind, worrying her that this might be moving a little too fast. However, as she sat, relaxed into his side, she realized how comfortable and  _right_  it felt. Felicity always trusted her gut instinct, who was she to start questioning it now?

Oliver's next question broke her out of her spiraling thoughts, "So, what is it that you do?"

"Oh." Felicity adjusted her glasses that were slipping down her face, "I currently work in the IT department of this small start up company, but hopefully for not much longer. I'm actively looking for a position elsewhere."

Oliver's brow wrinkled, "You don't like the job anymore?"

"It's not so much the job, as it is the boss. I love IT and computers, and my co-workers are nice, but my supervisor is an idiot. I hate to bad-mouth someone, but seriously. This guy is supposed to be my higher-up, yet I'm the one fixing all his problems. Unfortunately, the rest is your stereotypical story: I fix the problems, he takes the credit, and I'm left looking like another mediocre employee."

Pausing for a moment, Felicity poked at the remaining grapes on her plate. "Not to sound conceited or anything, but my skills are being wasted there. I didn't graduate high school early and then go to MIT because I was bored. It's because I'm good. And if I don't find the right fit for me, I'll just stay stuck under my boss' thumb forever. Luckily, I've got a few resumes out there. But there is one company I'd  _love_  to get my hands on their tech. Here's hoping it works out with Queen Consolidated!"

Actively listening as Felicity vented about her current employment, Oliver choked on the wine he had been sipping as those final two words slipped passed her lips.

Felicity's head snapped in his direction, "Are you ok?"

Nodding in reply, Oliver cleared his throat before responding, "Queen Consolidated, huh?"

Felicity remained silent, a small 'v' forming on her brow as she tried to ignore the knot she suddenly felt in the pit of her stomach.

"So, you might be working for my family's company?"

The knot in her stomach grew heavier as dots connected in her mind, and a neon light bulb flared to life above her head, realizing who he was and what this might mean.

"Oh, God," Felicity groaned, "Please don't tell me you'd be my boss?"

To her surprise, Oliver's response was a huge belly laugh, but there was no way she found this funny.

"No, I don't work at QC. If anything you'd just be dating the boss' son," Oliver winked.

The knot began to ease in her stomach as Felicity released the breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"Sorry to disappoint you and any… boss/secretary fantasies you might have had."

Felicity scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that would  _not_ be happening."

The pair fell silent once more as Felicity slipped away into her thoughts. Oliver, on the other hand, continued to stare at her in contemplation.

"You really had no idea who I was…"

Felicity jumped, startled back to the present. "Oh, umm…. no… I mean, yes. Of course I know who you are. Oliver Queen. You couldn't really read a news site without seeing your name at least once. But I just never made the connection that  _you_ Oliver Queen are the same person as  _the_  Oliver Queen." A blush started to form on her cheeks as she thought of what Oliver must think of her. "You just never acted like the Oliver Queen you read about in the media, so I never thought… I'm sorry. I never meant any dis-."

"Woah, hey, no!" Oliver quickly interrupted, placing his hands on top of hers, "It's ok. Actually… it's refreshing. I'm not… I'm not that guy any more, so I'm glad you never got to know him."

The genuine smile he gave Felicity dissolved any remnants of the knot left in her stomach and replaced them with the butterflies from earlier. Her blush deepened at the feelings coursing through her body from that smile.

"Sooooo… If you don't work for the family business, what do you do?" Felicity attempted to steer the conversation in another direction.

Grimacing slightly at first, Oliver's smile returned before he answered, "I run a gym along with a buddy of mine from college, John Diggle. It's on the edge of the Glades in one of my family's old factory buildings, called The Foundry. If you've ever heard of it."

Felicity's eyes lit up, "Actually I have! I've wanted to check it out, but since work has been… well, work, I figured waiting until I got a new job would be better. Do you have group classes there?"

"Yeah, what are you looking for?"

"Yoga. I haven't done it since college, and I really need to get back to it."

"Well you're in luck, we do host yoga classes, and the instructor, Shado, is great. She's been teaching for years. If you ever wanted a tour of the place, I'd be happy to show you around."

The pair shared a smile, and comfortably slipped back into easy conversation.

>>\------->

As the evening wore on, an employee came and lit various fire pits around the grounds. The warmth immediately reached the pair and added to the cozy atmosphere surrounding them. Unconsciously, Felicity had slipped further into Oliver's side, her head practically resting on his shoulder as she listened to stories of his sister and best friend, Tommy. His arm still lay across her shoulders, but now Oliver's hand slowly combed through the ends of her hair.

The steady rhythm of his movements and the low, easy cadence of his voice, allowed Felicity to fall into a sense of peace that she hadn't felt in a long time. She closed her eyes and soaked up the moment. She could listen to him speak all day.

"Falling asleep? I'm not that boring, am I?" Oliver's voice was right next to her ear.

Felicity, ripped from her rest, jumped out of his arms and turned to him with wide eyes. "Oh, no no!" she reassured him in a panic, "You… well, the way you talk, it's ah… it's very soothing."

Felicity flushed a deep red, surprised she actually admitted that to him, but when she finally got the courage to meet his gaze all she found was his "all-American boy" smile. Those perfect laugh lines planted in the corner of each eye.

"Well, be that as it may," Oliver's eyes twinkled in humor, "We should probably be heading back."

"Oh," Felicity replied lowly, saddened by the thought of this night coming to an end, "Yeah, we probably should."

They packed up the basket in silence before strolling back to the motorcycle hand-in-hand. No words were needed; both completely content in the other one's company.

After situating the basket on the back of the bike, Oliver removed his leather jacket and held it open. "Here."

Moved by his gesture, Felicity slowly spun to face away from him and slip her arms into the sleeves. "What about you? Won't you get cold?"

His hands came to rest on her shoulders as she straightened the jacket, his mouth next to her ear once more. "That's what I have you for."

Her head tilted to the side as she gave him a look that screamed are-you-for-real-right-now? "Seriously?" she deadpanned.

Oliver simply laughed. "Oh, come on. It wouldn't be a true date with  _Oliver Queen_  if there wasn't at least one bad line," he teased.

Felicity returned his laugh.

Helmets on, and settled on the bike, Felicity molded herself along Oliver's back and wrapped her arms tightly around his middle. "Warm enough for you?" Felicity baited Oliver through the headset.

His only reply was to rev the bike twice. The sudden accelerated vibrations sent jolts low in her belly. Her hands flexed along his shirt as she tried desperately not to squirm. Biting her lip inside her helmet, Felicity could not be more thankful that Oliver couldn't see her reaction before he sped off into the night.

Back where the night had begun, Oliver shut off his bike and allowed Felicity to hop off first before following. Once helmets were removed, the pair simply smiled at each other until Felicity remembered the jacket she wore.

"Thank you for letting me borrow that," she said as she handed Oliver back his leather jacket.

"No problem."

"I'm surprised you weren't freezing! The wind made my hands so cold."

Oliver shrugged, "I guess I'm just used to it, plus the cold never bothered me anyway."

Felicity paused in their trek up to her front door. "You did not just quote  _Frozen_ ," disbelief evident in her voice.

Guilt written all over his face, Oliver grimaced while he rocked back on his heels, "I blame my sister, she made me watch it with her."

Felicity doubled over laughing while Oliver rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, his neck and tips of his ears flushing a deep red. After she calmed down, Felicity scrutinized Oliver with slit eyes, tapping her chin. "You're a closet Disney freak, aren't you?"

Oliver's body sagged as he heaved a large sigh, and gave Felicity a sheepish look. "I didn't want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice… here comes the smolder."*

His face contorted into a pout and squinty eyes, trying to mimic Flynn Riders' sultry stare from  _Tangled._ Felicity snorted once before falling onto his chest, her giggles muffled by his shirt. Chuckling along with her, Oliver's arms circled around Felicity, and held her until she calmed down.

Leaning back to look up at Oliver, Felicity finally realized the position they held. Oliver's arms never loosened their hold, and she didn't move back to create any space. Their gazes lingered, and Felicity's tongue swept across her very dry lips. Oliver's gaze wavered slightly as he followed the path of her tongue, then he quickly returned his eyes to hers. The blue of his irises were darker, stormier, more heated than Felicity had ever seen. That feeling deep in the pit of her stomach returned, and her knees felt a little shaky.

With a breath stuttering passed her lips, Felicity broke the silence. "I had a lovely time tonight. The picnic was delicious; please thank Raisa for me. And the wine! Definitely an A+ on the wine."

Oliver smiled at her words, but the look he sent her affected her far more than any smolder ever would. A shiver traveled down through her body, but it had nothing to do with the air temperature.

"You're more than welcome," his voice a deep croon, "I had a wonderful time, too."

His left hand lifted to tuck some loose strands of hair behind her ear, before continuing to caress along the outline of her ear, then gently cupping the edge of her jaw. Felicity knew what that meant, what was intended to happen. Her breathing sped up as the situation became more, and more real, and that little niggle came back - that small amount of fear and worry everything was moving way too fast.

Sensing her trepidation, Oliver applied a small amount of pressure, tilting her head down, and planted a lingering kiss on her forehead. Felicity's eyes slipped closed, but her heart sunk just a little. The gesture was sweet, and it touched her more than she could say, but the true opportunity was missed.

Stepping back after finishing the kiss, Oliver's hand continued to rest along her jaw as he smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow morning. Goodnight, Felicity."

"Goodnight, Oliver."

With a wink, Oliver turned and walked back to his bike. Climbing the steps to her door, Felicity heard the motor roar to life and glanced back at Oliver one more time. Gazing at her through the visor of his helmet, Oliver offered a final wave before speeding off.

Stepping inside, Felicity was greeted by an excited Sparky; however, she paid little attention to him as she collapsed back against her door.

"I'm an idiot," she spoke out loud to her empty house.

She wanted to kiss Oliver. Boy, did she want to kiss Oliver! But those stupid worries clogged up her brain and made her freeze.  _What happened to trusting your gut?_  Felicity sighed, and moved slowly through her apartment into her room. She might have frozen tonight, but that was  _not_  going to happen tomorrow morning.

>>\------->

Saturday morning called at 6am, and Felicity woke with determination. Prepping herself as usual and grabbing Sparky to head outside, she steeled her resolve and pushed all worries from her mind.

Sparky happily romped in their small patch of grass while Felicity tried not to pace and get lost in her thoughts. Luckily, it didn't take long for the steady sound of his feet on the sidewalk to break through her musings. With a soft grey shirt and athletic shorts - like always – she felt her heart begin to race like the first time she ever saw him. Her gaze quickly found his and watched as his face lit up with that boyish smile.

In that moment, a calm settled over Felicity and she returned his smile, just as bright.

"Good morning, Ms. Smoak," Oliver greeted, sidling up in front of her. "And how are we today?"

Both ignored the hyperactive corgi bouncing about their feet.

"Quite well, Mr. Queen," she replied just as cheerily, "I'm glad you stopped, actually. There's something I need to apologize for."

"Oh?" His brow wrinkled, wondering just what she meant.

"Yes, you see. I made a mistake last night."

Oliver swallowed thickly as he tried to hide the cold fear the suddenly seized his heart.

Felicity took a step forward into his personal space. "And it needs to be rectified."

Before he could utter a single word in response, Felicity grasped the front of his shirt and pulled until his mouth crashed into hers. The kiss was sudden and abrupt; however, it progressed quickly. Felicity let down her walls and embraced the complete feeling of  _right_ -ness in that moment. Soon his arms embraced her like the night before and hers were wrapped around his neck. Even Sparky joined the excitement, running about the pair, wrapping them up in his leash – just like the morning they were properly introduced.

When they finally broke for air, Felicity was the first to speak. "That should have happened last night. I'm sorry I kind of… freaked out a little."

Oliver shook his head as he gulped in air; his mind still reeling over the fact that Felicity had just kissed him. His hands moved to cup her face, making sure she couldn't look away. "That is not something you  _ever_  have to apologize for, Felicity. Whatever you're comfortable with; your speed. Okay?"

Felicity's eyes glistened as emotion welled up inside of her. Words were lodged in her throat and refused to come out, so she nodded fiercely in reply and rested her forehead against his. Her eyes slipped closed as she realized just how lucky she was to meet this man.

"With that being said," Oliver continued. Felicity opened her eyes, but didn't move from her position. "I would very much like to do that again, if that's okay with you?"

She huffed a laugh before glancing down at their leash wrapped legs - the culprit sitting quietly at their sides - and then looked back at Oliver. "Well, it doesn't look like we're going anywhere anytime soon, so…. why not?" Felicity shrugged, feigning indifference.

Without a second thought, Oliver swooped in and captured her lips, swallowing her smile with his own.

It didn't matter that they were standing outside her house in the early morning hours, the sun barely showing itself above the horizon. Didn't matter they were wrapped up in a dog leash, with the threat of tipping over at any time. Didn't matter that this kiss didn't happen the night before. All that mattered was this moment right here. As someone who deeply despised waking up before it was absolutely necessary, and normally needed at least one cup of coffee in order to function, Felicity Smoak was starting to learn that there were some definite benefits to early mornings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Flynn Rider quote from Disney's Tangled
> 
> A/N: The winery is based off of one I've been to before, though I added the fire pits. Not sure they have those :-). Thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you enjoyed the story, I'd love to hear what you think. Until next time!
> 
> -RedPens&GreenArrows

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you enjoyed the story, I'd love to hear what you think. Until next time!  
> -RedPens&GreenArrows


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